Conquering the Unconquered Land
I think this (could) be posted in the Campaign Journals section, but it also seems to be appropriate for this section of the forums.
This tale is built from the Kingmaker adventure plus many of the optional adventure side-quests from this thread. So even if you read the monthly pathfinder issue, there should be more than enough surprises to go around.
Some (minor) artistic license was taken for this tale from how things happened at the table. But basically, this is how things happened. Or, as the movie Judge Roy Bean would say, if this wasn't exactly how it happened, then this is how it should have happened.
Predicted Major Themes: Exploration, Honor, Self-Discovery, Relationships with the community
Actual Major themes (Thus Far): Exploration, Intricacies of Obscure Laws, Mild Incompetence.
OOC: List of Characters
1. Eloise - 1/2 Elf Cleric Female Noble (House Medvyed)
(Healing/Charm Domains) (Is a semi-legitimate daughter of a noble.)
2. Queryn - 1/2 Elf Ranger Male Pioneer (From Rogarvia)
(Absolutely devastating with a bow) (favored enemy: humans)
3. Sardan - Human Wizard Male Noble (House Issia)
4. Balun - Human Fighter Male Assistant
x. Jacobi - The Porter from Crystal's Hirelings Supplement
xx. 3 Mules and 1 Horse (Queryn's).
(Which means that the group has a great deal of carrying capacity)
PROLOGUE
23rd of February
-Spring comes late to Brevory Land, but with the first thaw and the first ringing of the bell in the center square of Restov, the adventurers gathered together. This was the first time they would meet, but they had corresponded for several weeks previous-- put into contact by their Noble families who arranged the matter of their exploration.
-Sardan came first into the square, blue and purple cape trailing behind him. He was the fifth son of his family in Issia. He had the noble, long Issian nose, and the regal bearing of the ancient people.
On his shoulder perched Ix, his toad familiar, flicking its tongue in and out in metered pattern. And it stared at the passing people, long and hard--evaluating.
Sardan's family sent him south because funds were running low and there would be little or no inheritance for him in the future. A chance at winning glory through exploration seemed a fortuitous solution to the family's dilemma, so away Sardan went.
His father, a proud man, had not the heart to send Sardan alone, however, and so along with a total of 750 gold--nearly all his guaranteed inheritance-- he was accompanied by the House's most loyal retainer, Balun, a 34-year old who had served the family in jousts and as a bodyguard since his teens. Balun spoke little-- he let his actions do the talking. He was loyal to the bone, and he would stand beside Sardan until both would fall.
-Next, Eloise, a beautiful soft-featured raven-haired half-elven lady strode into the city square. She traveled from the woods of House Medyved, where she had been raised by her elven mother-- and funded by her father-- a human noble of the House who never married the Lady.
With his funds, she attended training at the local Temple to Corellana, goddess of healing. Now, as a graduate, she was notified by the temple sages that she must begin her apprenticeship to the goddess by traveling with those who must plunge into danger. So she had signed up for the exploration, eager to heal, to help, and to prove her worth to her father who had funded her so well-- but whom she had never met.
- Queryn, the half-elven ranger, was last. He was sent to accompany the others as a guide, and was paid by House Rogarvia as a representative of their interests in the expedition. Though not noble himself, he was blood friends with a noble of the house who, lost in the wilderness, had been saved from a bevy of bandits by Queryn and who had in turn adopted him as a protege, providing Queryn with the best instruction and housing that he could expect.
Queryn rode into the square mounted on a bay-colored highborn highlands horse. He looked down at his partners, and sighed. Cityfolk, all of them- except for perhaps the older fellow. Queryn could only hope that the others would pull their weight in the wilderness and that they knew something of surveying and cartography.
-The last to join, Jacobi, was a porter-- provided by the Swordlords of Restov gratis save his daily fee. He came leading three mules on which were packed many of the group's supplies.
The group introduced themselves; Sardan, on seeing the noble-looking Queryn mounted on his horse, grimaced. His father had not thought to leave him with a horse and now here Sardan was, at a social disadvantage to what he assumed was a rich and powerful half-elf.
Speaking, and staring directly at the half-elf, Sardan invented a colorful name and background for himself- "Half-elf, well met." He greeted. "I am Sardanodraxyl, descended from dragons and he who has studied at the feet of the Great Mage Androdroschenes. I have access to grand spells and insights into the world that will aid us in exploration of the land, and in extermination of its bandits. This man beside me is my loyal retainer, Balun." Lies, most of it, but what were the chances that this half-elf would see through his deception?
Queryn raised an eyebrow at Sardan's introduction, then lowered his head and spoke. "It is good to meet you Sardanodrax... May I call you Sarda'?"
Sardan was silent for a moment. He looked at Balun. Balun shrugged, and looked away, barely concealing a smirk.
"Sardan will do." Sardan sighed. "Many find it difficult to pronounce my full true name."
"Not a good idea bandying true names about, not when there's pact magic users wandering the lands-" Queryn noted.
In Sardan's silence, Eloise stepped up; "Well met then Queryn and Sardan." She said. "I am Eloise of House Medyved. I have come to provide healing and help to this exploration."
Jacobi merely introduced himself as the porter and explained that the Swordlords had sent him.
Handshakes went all around.
CHAPTER 1
...IN which our heroes encounter:
a. A nearly-abandoned campsite; and Sardan makes a fool of himself.
b. An isolated trading post; and Sardan makes a fool of himself.
c. A bunch of bandits.
d. A charming spell. "You Should Go Home!"
e. A beheading.
f. Apothecaries.
g. Kobolds and Radishes.
h. Sardan making a fool, nay, an Ass of himself.
-To Be Continued
OOC:
*Correction because it was annoying me: "23rd of February" should be "23rd of March". Although I perhaps should move it to 23rd of April given the climate of Brevoy and threat of snow, I figure March isn't too early to start an expedition.
Writeups are progressing for Chapter 1.
26th of March (3 Days)
The group, having met and exchanged greetings, set off into the wilderness, one walking (Jacobi), three of them mounted on donkeys, and one-- Queryn, riding his horse.
About a days ride from Oleg's, just before noon, they came upon a small area where cabins were set-up around a small running stream. Several cabins still had snow on the roofs and all were boarded up. But as the group passed the area, out came a person, dressed heavily in furs, and he spoke with an acrid tongue. "Come to the Disputed Lands armed to the teeth, I see?"
"And you-- ill-dressed person are?" Sardan haughtily raised his chin, staring down at the fur-dressed man.
"The name is Tarn Adams." The man said, rubbing a hand against his curly brown beard. "And I suppose you've come south to join the bandits, what have you, no?"
"The bandits--" Sardan spoke, and turned to Balun on his right. Balun frowned.
"Oh no." Eloise shook her head. "We would never resort to brigandry."
"Then what brings you south?" Tarn asked.
"This." Queryn unrolled the Charter.
Tarn took a step back. "You're not collecting taxes, then are you?" He coughed. "We didn't make much this year at this here camp-- the bandits took it all. Any chance we could get a deduction? I've been readin' through the code and it seems that you can get a deduction for depreciation-- bunch of bandits done mess this place up about a month's back--"
"I doubt the Brevory Internal Revenue Code recognizes such a deduction." Sardan shook his head, long and measured. "Unless the depreciation is due to an act of nature such as a blizzard or rain, the depreciation is not counted as an offset against capital gains."
"Damnation." Tarn cursed. "So you are tax collecting bandits!"
"No. Certainly not." Eloise shook her head. "We would never dare do that."
"At least unless we had a chartered right to do so..." Queryn wondered, rolling up the charter.
"I ain't got much to give you- the season's just starting." Tarn frowned, hand going to his waist where his coin purse and shortsword were worn.
"No." Eloise repeated. "No taxes."
"Oh, then what did that pretty piece of paper say then?"
"It says that we have a right to execute unrepentant bandits and that we have a chartered right to explore in the Narlmarches and surrounding area."
"Oh," Tarn's hand went away from his belt. "Then you're welcome to stay here for the night if you like. It'll be about 5sp a person if you want to enjoy yourselves."
Queryn looked up at the sun, not even halfway across the sky. "No." He said, "I do not think that we will be staying."
"Not even for 4sp a night?" Tarn offered.
"No." There would be no bargaining. Tarn sighed.
"You mentioned bandits-" Eloise asked.
Tarn looked at her.
"How many of them were there and when did you last see these people?"
"There was about ten of them, led by a fierce woman there was." Tarn started. "You ken still see some of the blood soaked into the ground here from two of tha men who tried to challenge them."
"-that is a pity." Eloise looked to Queryn, eyebrow raised. "And do you know the names of any of these?"
"Well, the lady's name was Kressel, I think-- and another one of tha leaders was someone called Happs."
"Any magic users among them?"
"Naw. Not that I could see anyway." Tarn shrugged. "How about that cabin for the night? 3sp a person?"
"No." Queryn said, gathering up his reins. "If we hurry, we can make it to Oleg's by night."
"I wonder if that crusty guy's still alive." Tarn mused.
"You have not visited him? And he's only about a day's ride away?" Queryn asked.
Tarn shrugged. "What with the bandit's about, I don't venture far."
Sardan stared at him strange, and then the group left, but not before Tarn dropped his offer to 2sp a night per person.
But once they were out of eyesight of Tarn, Sardan told the group. "There's something wrong about that fellow- I don't trust him."
The others were a bit incredulous about his suggestion, but Sardan was pretty adamant. "I'm going to go back there and pretend that I want to join the bandits-- I think he's in with them."
Sardan turned his donkey around and circled back to Tarn.
Tarn's eyes lit up when Sardan came into view. "Ah, so you've changed your minds for 2sp a night per person?"
"No. Well. Sort of." Sardan said.
"How about 1sp a night?"
"How about you tell me more about these bandits. They sound pretty strong. I think I'd like to join them."
"Oh." Tarn said. "Well, I said about all I can about them-- don't remember much more, except they killed Svein and Olaf-- two good men-- but I suppose they deserved it, what with standing up to the bandits and all."
"Yep." Sardan said, hand going to his dagger.
"You know..." Tarn said. "You can stay free here tonight. I don't want any trouble."
Sardan sighed. "Oh well, never mind."
He circled back.
"I don't think that he was a bandit." He told the others.
Rolling his eyes, Queryn sighed. "Neither did any of us-- now let's hurry, if we double-time then we can make it to Oleg's by night."
Eloise asked the Porter-- "Porter, how fast can you run?"
"Not as fast as a mule." He said.
Eloise then tapped Queryn on the shoulder and encouraged him to let Jacobi ride behind him.
And so they were off.
Three hours after nightfall, they arrived at the wooden locked gates of Oleg's.
Next: b. An isolated trading post; and Sardan makes a fool of himself.
Chapter 1b. An isolated trading post; and Sardan makes a fool of himself.
He made a fair amount of cash as a merchant working with Tarn Adams (from 1a), Constance Devine (introduced later), and a few others on the imports business over the years and made a few political connections that got him set up on the outskirts of Brevoy as a pioneer.
He stocked the fortress with a great deal of materials after he married Svetlana, a minor noble's bastard daughter (who came with a significant dowry) and had a couple of contractors and guards help him rebuild. They left after he was done building and guards were supposed to come south, but they're late by three months now due to harsh winter weather.
A voice called down from the fortress walls. "What brings you to Oleg's Trading post?"
"We come from Brevoy." Queryn started, waving at the shape bobbing above him, hiding behind a battlement. "Licensed by the swordlords of Restov."
"Swordlords' sent then, eh'." The voice grunted. "And armed well t'suit. Thank Min (OOC: goddess of light) that you're here to light our path--Svetlana, open up the pin and I'll pull back the gates."
The gate opened and the group headed into the trading post's yard, walking past a wagon and meeting the big owner of the voice, and a blond-haired, ruddy-cheeked woman who must be Svetlana. Both were smiling wide, happy grins.
The big man walked over to Queryn, reached up and grabbed his hand and pumped it. "I'll tell you, we're glad you're here tonight. We were gettin' worried you wouldn't make it in time--name's Oleg, and this fine lady is the lovely Svetlana." Svetlana curtsied.
Sardan spoke up. "Were you preparing for sleep or something?"
"No. We would not have been able to sleep." Oleg lowered his head. "But now that you are here-- we can deal with those damned thieves."
"Thieves?" Sardan asked.
"The bandits we mentioned when we sent for you-- they're scheduled to come tomorrow for their monthly collection."
Sardan "You did not send for us, we came due to a charter--"
Oleg frowned. "You are saying what--"
... After dismounting and speaking for a while, the heroes worked out that Oleg had been harassed by several bandits- first a group of 10, then a group of 6, and finally a group of 4 last month. The heroes then decided on a plan of action.
Jacobi was the first to talk. "Uhhh, I wish you luck and all but would you be fine with me hidin' in tha' big house over there?" he pointed at Oleg's office and home. "Even with hazard pay, I don't think I'll be much help- I ain't so much as used even a dagger a'fore, save to pry out some of my rotted teeth."
"No worries about that, Jacobi." Eloise spoke. "I have no doubt that the Goddess Corellana (Healing/Charm) will look favorably upon our venture. Even if you are injured, she will see to it that your wounds are tended." Jacobi looked down and bit his tongue, shaking slightly.
"We don't need him. He can go hide." Sardan waved Jacobi off. "I have a plan." Jacobi let out a sigh of relief.
"We are going to ambush them in the yard."
"And?" Queryn asked. Sardan was silent for a long time. Queryn held up a hand. "If I may," Sardan nodded.
"There are stables over here, no? I can hide in there with my bow and shoot at humans- long have I studied human physiology on the frontier and I have slain more than my fair share of bandits and poachers. My aim will be true and I will not be seen.
"Then we can move this wagon, the one with the fishing lines and tarp, we can move it over closing one of the doors and fill it with furs and lumber for the bandits. Eloise can hide underneath it and target one of the bandits with an arrow or a spell-"
"I can charm their leader." Eloise suggested. "The one you call Happs- I'll disable him and he'll tell us where their camp is."
"Great." Queryn nodded. Then he straightened his collar. "Adjusting the strategy for that, I'd suggest you tell Happs to go to that home over there and wait out the fight and not join his friends--"
"But maybe they're not his friends." Sardan suggested. "Ellie should just tell him to fight them."
Eloise frowned at the corruption of her name.
"No, no no." Queryn shook his head. "We don't know if that will break the spell."
"But they're bandits- they probably hate each other after being around each other in the wilderness so long."
Queryn was silent for a time. "You have experience with that?"
"Of course." Sardan said.
"Somehow that does not surprise me." Queryn shook his head. "Still, the risk is too much. Just tell him to go to the home, Eloise."
Eloise nodded a short, curt jerk.
"And then Sardan should hide up on the battlements--out of view-- and he should toss a vial of alchemist fire when they bunch up."
"Oleg will stand in the middle of the square and do the handover, then run. That will be the signal. Svetlana should stand on the side, and get away as soon as possible."
With that plan, the party went to sleep.
NEXT: Waking up at five in the morning... and waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
PART 1c. A bunch of bandits.
Part 1c. A Bunch of Bandits
; 1d. "You Should Go Home"
and 1e. A beheading.
Five AM and Oleg was knocking on the guest-house door. His voice was timid, asking if the group was ready. He was wringing his hands and sweating, even though the temperature was biting cold outside.
Sardan pushed his black eyeguard off his eyes, and took his ear plugs out, then moaned. "What time is it Oleg? I don't even see the light outside?"
"I realize it is early," Oleg said. "But the bandits are coming."
"What? Now!" Queryn bolted up from his bed and started grabbing his armor and weapons.
"No,no,no." Oleg said. "They usually come around five hours or more after sunrise. But they might come early."
"Or not at all." Sardan pushed the eyeguard back up on his face. "I'm going back to bed."
Queryn stood up. "I will eat breakfast, then head to my post." He accompanied Oleg to the door. Before he reached it, Sardan was snoring.
Eloise and Jacobi didn't even notice the exchange.
Four hours later, everyone was suited up and at their positions.
Three hours later, they were still there.
Queryn was dozing at his post when he heard the calls.
"Hey Oaf-Egg, open the hell up- why's only one door open here ya' big fat idiot!"
"I brought the wagon over there." Oleg explained. "And loaded it up for you."
"Do ya' want me to throw some fire in there and burn the door down for ya'?" The voice called again.
"Oh Happs." Oleg said. "It's all right there- I didn't want any trouble and you can have the wagon."
(OOC: Diplomacy roll for oleg 15- good thing for the party.)
"Ugh." Happs cursed. "Hey, three of you guys, go out there and see if the Egghead's telling the truth."
They went in on their horses and saw that the wagon was ready, they called back to Happs, who was targeting the door with his bow. "Yeah Happs, it's all here."
"Let's get that out then look around for more." Happs said. "Can't let the proprietor go cutting me short, not less he wants to be an arm short himself."
The bandits laughed and two dismounted to pull the wagon out and tie their horses to it.
(OOC: They fail perception rolls on 2 straight rounds to see Eloise, who has a slight modifier to hide.)
Happs got off his horse and trains his arrow on the door-way. "Don't worry fellows, I gots ya covered." He hiccuped and reached into his vest jacket where he took a swig from some whiskey, watching the bandits at the wagon from the gateway to Oleg's.
Oleg stands still while the bandits start hooking up the wagon, and Sardan, who watches worriedly waiting for them to discover Eloise, panicks and throws the alchemists fire, and completely misses. The bandits turn around and Queryn shouts "NOW!", jumping out from the stables and letting fly an arrow that strikes the bandit on the horse and knocks him dead.
Balun runs out from the stables, where he had been hiding with Queryn, and promptly falls flat on his face (OOC: Rolled a 1 on attack charge).
Eloise jumps to her feet and directs a Charm Person spell toward Happs. Happs eyes take on a glazed expression almost immediately. Eloise barks her first command. "You should go home!"
Happs repeats. "I should go home."
As the GM, I sort of sat bemused, and shocked by the whole situation. I even gave the player another chance- "What do you order him to do?" She replied "You should go home." I asked one more time, "Really?" she answered "I want him to go home." I shrugged and went ahead with her order.)
And Happs mounted his horse.
One of the bandits at the palisade noticed Eloise jump to her feet and he raced over toward her, laughing. "Hey jackasses, I'm gonna take this lassie for myself and you're gonna let me go." He slashed at her and did a fair amount of damage. Eloise screamed as the man's sword penetrated her armor.
The other bandit grabbed at his horse and tried to mount it. Sardan cast magic missile on him, striking him as he got on the horse. Then Queryn poked his head out of the stable and shot the guy in his back.
With a cry of "You should die." Eloise picked up her longsword "Excalibur", (OOC: Rolled a 20, then a 17) and basically cleaved the bandit in half. He fell before her, gurgling blood.
Happs spurred his horse on, managing to cover 90 feet. Eloise shouted at him, "You should wait!" And (OOC: Making perception, barely) he halted his horse, then came back.
Sardan helped Balun to his feet, then the group interrogated Happs, found the location of the bandit camp, its composition, and defenses, and finally asked him to tie himself up. "You should play bondage."
Then Eloise leaned over, kissed him on a cheek, and Queryn stabbed the human bandit in the back. He looked over at Sardan and grinned. "I know just the place to kill a human."
Sardan shuddered. "Quite useful, I suppose." He walked away, accompanied by Balun, who shot back a nasty glance at Queryn.
"So now we have to decide two things." Queryn said, holding up two fingers. "One, what to do with these bodies. And Two, how to assault these bandits-"
NEXT: f. Apothecaries.
g. Kobolds and Radishes.
Thanks for reading. We had our second session last Friday and may play again this Friday- after that we are going to need to take a break until the next Pathfinder issue comes out.
In the Chapter III events, you can look forward to :
- Chance slaying of a Megaloceros !!!
- Frightening antlers.
- Dealing with Wolves.
- Toads Communing with Giant Frogs.
- Aimless exploration.
- Wrestling Catfish.
- More things lost in translation.
- 0 HP, 0 HP, -3 HP, 1 HP.
- Tatzlwyrms.
- The Inexorable Expansion of Oleg's
At last, the next section:
1f. Apothecaries
Queryn, Oleg, Balun and Sardan talked about what to do with the bandit corpses while Eloise spoke with Svetlana (OOC: Gaining the radish quest).
Oleg looked down at the bodies, "Much as I'd like to nail them to the wall as a warning, that probably would mean their stench would be invadin' my nostrils as soon as I get out of the fort."
Queryn nodded and spoke with Balun, then the two of them got to burying the bandits alongside Oleg. Sardan summoned a Floating Disk to transport the bodies to their graves.
As the day grew later, the party discussed what was to be done with the bandits' main camp. Happs had mentioned that there were some bandit groups riding around in the Narlmarches, which made the party loathe to leave Oleg and Svetlana alone.
Oleg mentioned that he was getting pretty worried about a guy named Bokken who lived to the East. The guy was an apothecary, Oleg said, and he hadn't seen him come in for several weeks. He told the party that if they had a few hours to ride, they might go over there and check on him before the bandit camp could realize their fellows had done gone missing.
Before the break of dawn, the party set out for Bokken's hut.
When they approached the hut, they noticed a great yard, with many types of vegetables and wooden signs with words written in Taldan and in Draconic stating "Keep Out!", "No Food For Kobold!", and "All Delicious Food is Poison Food!"
The party ignored the warnings and Sardan knocked on the door, announcing himself as Sardaxonomicon the Great. Bokken's wispy voice came from the other side. "No! No more Taxes for the bandits! Get out of here posthaste!"
Sardan explained that the group were not bandits and eventually succeeded in persuading Bokken of the group's good intentions.
Bokken then let the group inside and offered them a look at his wares. Before they left, he gave them a proposition- 500 gp in store credit and two cure light wounds potions in return for a bunch of fangberries that he could use to create other wonders.
*
The group headed back to Oleg's fort around midday, only to find... someone else had arrived at Oleg's. The group saw them on the battlements, men dressed in military garb, swarming over a catapult.
Queryn notched his bow and Sardan prepared a spell. Then Eloise, astride her horse, called out- "Hail. What brings you to the trading post?"
A man dressed in armor called down. "Be you bandits?"
"We'll kill you and all your bandit-friends too!" Sardan screamed, loosing a spell of magic missile against the man in armor.
The man, having been struck, raised his sword, but lowered it as he heard a booming voice call. "No, no Kesten- these are the adventurers who slaughtered the bandits!"
Kesten backed away from the battlements and exchanged a few words with the originator of the speech.
Then the fort's gates swung open and the party entered
*
On entering, they found that a man called Kesten Garess and three others had arrived, sent from Restov to guard Oleg's trading post. Kesten was reserved and a bit on edge, nursing his wounds from Sardan's strike. After some prodding, he allowed Eloise to heal his wounds, then retreated to the stables to mind the horses and to remove his armor.
Once his armor was removed, Kesten joined the group for a hearty dinner of roast dog and turnip. He informed the group: "Although I would very much enjoy joining you on your explorations through the Stolen Lands, I do not have authorization to travel but 12 miles from Olegsfort. My actual authority is quite limited in scope. I can write for an expansion of my authority, but do not expect the bureaucracy to get back to me any sooner than two weeks."
The party compromised; Kesten's band would guard the fort while they hunted down the bandits at their camp. They shook hands, and Queryn prepared a plan to track the bandits back to their home camp.
1g. A Fallen Man
Day 6 in the Stolen Lands
Traveling south again, the party came upon an unexpected sight-- they saw a rather large pit trap, and from its bottom, Queryn heard moaning. Notching a bow, Queryn moved to cover the trap and called down to see if there was anyone lying within.
A moan came. "Yeah, I'm sure as sugar lyin' down here- can't you get me out?"
Sardan immediately called down, readying a magic missile. "Are you a bandit?"
There was a hesitation.
"Well... Hey, I've never heard the sound of youse guys voices before- who are you with? You did this hole here?"
"No." Sardan said. "We're new bandits. We joined up a few days ago."
"Oh, yeah." The guy said. "Well, yeah, maybe I'm a bandit too. Were you out lookin' for me or something?"
"No." Sardan shook his head.
"Are you injured?" Queryn asked.
"Broke my d--n leg." The guy said.
"Did you ever kill anyone?" Sardan asked, ready to slay an unrepentant bandit.
"Naw." The man in the hole said. "Never got tha' chance."
"How did you get down there?"
"Was on patrol with Happs, then fell behind-- other guys never thought t' look for me."
Ah! Sardan had an insight. He turned to the others and gestured. "This is a bandit- we should kill him on sight."
"But we don't know if he is really a bandit." Eloise interjected.
Sardan puffed up his chest and hissed. "He knows Happs name!"
Eloise frowned and batted a lazy hand at Sardan's supposition. "So did Oleg."
Queryn turned away from those two and spoke again to the man in the hole; "We can throw a rope down to help you up."
Before Queryn could toss a rope into the hole, Sardan interjected. "Is anything else down there?"
"Yeah, got my pack. We'll be needin' to get that up too."
"Then send the pack up first."
There was another hesitation. "How do I know you ain't gonna run off with my pack and leave me down here to rot?"
"You do not." Sardan said.
"'K I've got a rare wine there, River Kingdoms vintage, most are smashed, but I have a good one here in my hands-- you pull me up, you get it-- thing's worth 'bout 125 gold in a good place."
The party conferred and agreed to that.
They dragged up the pack and peered inside. All save one bottle within were smashed. An appraise check realized that indeed, the man did have about 1000 gold worth of fine wines at one time, now reduced to perhaps 125. After more conference, they dragged the man back up as well.
He gave them his bottle, which was half drank, then they frisked him and found a third bottle. "Come on-" he said. "That's mine."
"You sir-" Sardan began, holding the bottle and standing over the man imperiously. "Are under arrest as a bandit by order of the Crown of Brevoy by license of the Swordlords. We have no obligation to spare you anything, much less your wines."
The man trembled. "Brevoy? You men ain't bandits?"
"No indeed."
He blinked, then the words poured out. "Hey, youse guys I ain't a bandit myself. I just ripped off Kressel and was headin' north to make an honest life of myself-- sellin' these wines."
Sardan was unbelieving, but Queryn and Eloise showed great interest in the man's words. They encouraged him to tell the tale of how he escaped from Kressel's camp with the wines, newly looted from a River Kingdoms caravan and slated for delivery toward a man known as the Stag Lord-- who apparently enjoyed fine alcohol. Then he drew a map of the best way to approach Kressel's camp and to catch them unawares.
The group then got a promise from the man to quit banditry and escorted him back to Oleg's Fort, where they could hand him over to Kesten Garess and his men.
-
When the group got back to Oleg's Fort, the man kept protesting that he wouldn't be no harm to anyone and that they didn't need to turn him over to the law. But the party was adamant, and they handed him over to Kesten-- leg unhealed.
Kesten, surprised to see the party again so soon, accepted the prisoner and made some comments about branding him so he didn't steal from anyone ever again. The prisoner shook with rage. Then Queryn suggested that maybe he could work and do odd jobs around the fort to pay off his debt to society.
Oleg, coming from his house and wiping a dish clean, growled at that suggestion-- indicating that he wanted that "Nasty bugger" out of his fort as soon as possible since he was one of the ones who usually came with Happs to rob their home.
That issue being settled, the party was greeted by a man who wore flowing clerics robes. The man, with an unkempt face and beady eyes, greeted them as Jhod Kravken, an itinerant Cleric who had traveled south to spread the greetings of the God Erastil to the shattered lands in which the party now traveled. He told them that the God had seen fit to give him a vision of a Temple in the Narlmarches. However, he himself could not yet travel there because he had injured his leg and caught dysentery during his journey. He noted that he could cure himself, but he saw these injuries as punishment from his god- something that a true cleric must endure. He said that he would heal himself as soon as the party found the Temple, and would travel with them there. In return for finding the Temple, he would give the party free healing and several scrolls that he had saved.
The party agreed to Jhod's deal, spent the night, then set off in the morning along a path that would catch the bandit camp by surprise.
1h. Kobolds and Radishes
Day 7
The party headed south and came upon a clearing where, succeeding at being perceptive, they saw a bunch of Kobolds lying around and eating radishes plucked from several woven baskets.
Sardan immediately puffed up his chest and told the group that he would gather information from the Kobolds about their growing activities in the region.
He headed off, hiding amongst some bushes.
Then he spoke to the Kobolds in draconic.
"Hail Kobolds!"
They looked around.
"HAIL Kobolds!" He repeated
The Kobolds covered their heads and peered up nervously at the sky, chattering about how the weather might be changing for the worse.
"Kobolds, it is I, Draxatil, one of your kind who comes to greet you."
"Hey." One of the Kobolds removed its hands from its head, "Are you lying to us about the hail?"
"Oh blast, the words are homophones right, let me try again- Hello fellow kobolds!"
"Yeah, hello? You're not here for the radishes are you?" The Kobold's hand went to a dagger lying beside its bulging belly.
"Radishes, indeed I am."
"You ain't gettin' the radishes- not you- not even if you were Tartuk. These are OUR radishes."
"Tartuk eh," Sardan wondered. "You mean my brother. I was coming to greet him."
"What? You lie!" The Kobold said, jumping to its scaly feet and pointing the dagger toward the voice. "Come out so we can kill you."
"But no. You will not kill me." Sardan shot off a magic missile that exploded against a tree beside the Kobold. The Kobold screamed.
"And you would die if you were to see me-- I am malformed, and oddly colored--pink and purple and green."
The other Kobolds jumped to their feet, screaming. "Tartuk's brother has come to kill us! He's come to kill and take our radishes!"
The one with the dagger hesitated, trembling. His partners started running. After looking over its shoulder and seeing its fleeing compatriots, the kobold lowered its dagger, then fled with its partners-- but not before it could grab a basket full of radishes.